Featured update

Of some 100,000 Palestinians who work in Israel daily, 63,000 have permits and enter Israel via one of 11 checkpoints. In June, B’Tselem again documented the rough conditions at two checkpoints: 300 and Qalandia. Even in Ramadan, when workers fast all day, they are forced to leave for work in the dead of night, wait in long lines, and often sleep where they work and see their families only on weekends. This is not a necessary evil but a deliberate choice by the Israeli authorities. Whatever the reasons, it is unconscionable and unacceptable.

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Palestinians holding permits may enter Israel through any of eleven checkpoints, including Tarqumia Checkpoint. In June 2013 B’Tselem staff visited the checkpoint and documented the harsh conditions there. In order to reach work on time, laborers have to wait in line for hours, from the middle of the night, and undergo humiliating inspections. This situation is not a necessary evil but the result of a policy by the Ministry of Defense. The ministry must adjust the conditions at checkpoints to accommodate the number of Palestinians who are issued work permits by the Civil Administration, and it must ensure that the laborers can enter Israel without violation of their human dignity.